i read #2, you know Only when you have exhausted all possibilities should you ask for help. and stopped reading. this is hands down one of the most asinine things i have ever read—though i don't doubt many feel this way. one of the purposes of being human is sharing ideas. in fact, it's the sharing of ideas that allow any of us to code. here's a ted talk http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_ridley_when_ideas_have_sex.htm... this very idea. on top of that, there are some that learn best in collaboration with others. if you ask me, not asking for help is one of the dumbest things you can do. maybe being self-taught has lead me to be naïve. if that's the case, i'm better off.

edit: for some reason the link was bad, here's the youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLHh9E5ilZ4